I’m a bit smitten with everything about this soup.  From the glorious broth, to the tender chicken, right through the lovely aromatics, Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is perfectly balanced.

I simmered the boneless skinless chicken breast in broth until cooked through, then removed it from the broth and shredded with forks.  To the broth I added all the wonderful aromatics.  Lemon grass, ginger, garlic, Serrano pepper, cilantro, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar come together to create the delicious broth.

The sliced mushrooms are simmered until tender and then the shredded chicken, scallions, and fresh cilantro and basil are added the end.

When picking up the lemon grass I found these gorgeous edible flowers.  I had already chosen this beautiful flower bowl and couldn’t resist adding them to our Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, also known as Tom Kha Gai.

I’ve shared on several occasions that I’m working really hard to make “Healthy Choices” a lifestyle, not a struggle.  I’ll be the first to admit that food blogging and my slogan “love to cook, love to eat, love food photography” don’t always go hand in hand with maintaining healthy weight goals.  However, I’m proud to say that today I regained my Lifetime Member status at Weight Watchers.

One year ago, I walked through the doors of WW, hoping this would be the time that stuck.  You can read more about the past year HERE.  The most important thing is that I’ve learned to find balance, have taken off 65 pounds, and as of today have maintained a healthy weight goal for six weeks.  Eat right and exercise is the base to my success (along with a great support team).

Shelby came for dinner this week and we all enjoyed this yummy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.  Full of flavor and charm with no guilt attached.  Now that’s winning.

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Thai Coconut Chicken Soup {Tom Kha Gai}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 210kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For soup…

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth preferably reduced sodium
• 1 14- ounce can lite coconut milk
• 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 lemon grass stalk cut into 4 pieces about 3-inch each, remove woody outer layer.
• 1 Serrano pepper finely diced
• 1- inch fresh ginger grated (about 1 Tbl.)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 10-12 fresh cilantro sprigs leaves & stems, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. fish sauce or more to taste
• 1 tsp. sugar
• juice of 1 1/2 limes about 2-3 Tbl.

To serve…

• 2 scallion thinly sliced
• fresh basil and cilantro for garnish
• lime wedges for garnish
• edible flowers for garnish optional

Instructions

For soup…

• Cut chicken breast into 4 pieces. Simmer in 1 cup chicken stock until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and reserve.
• Meanwhile, while chicken is cooking, slice and dice remaining ingredients.
• Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Use two forks and shred chicken; return to the broth and heat through.

To serve…

• Remove lemon grass; discard. Serve hot in bowls; garnish with fresh cilantro, basil, scallion, lime wedges, and edible flowers (optional).

Notes

Each 1 1/2 cup serving = 5 WW Pts+

The post Thai Coconut Chicken Soup {Tom Kha Gai} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Mussels simmered in white wine, garlic and butter, in my opinion, rank right up there with Scallops Wrapped in Bacon.  So why would I mess with an absolutely delicious recipe?  Rhetorical.

Because Thai Seafood Chowder not only sounds like winning, but the addition of coconut milk, red curry paste and Serrano peppers took comfort to a new level.

Do you have any special requests for dinner?”  That I might also be able to picture aka blog about.

“Scotch Eggs.” Whoa! Hello and as always, thank you for challenging my foodie skills.

Now that you’ve spoken, I have a few recipes I’d like to test out on you, picture, and evaluate for Lemony Thyme.  Then I’ll spin a story about how you requested these and I researched for weeks/months on the best version of each of your requested recipes.  You’ll never whisper a word of this.

I joke, I kid.  I forced Thai Seafood Chowder into the weekend.  God, I was that girl.  But they loved it.  Even after having Scotch Eggs for brunch, Rosemary Ham & Swiss Savory Bread Pudding for late-lunch, they were sports when I presented an Asian infusion Thai Seafood Chowder.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Thai Seafood Chowder

Thai Seafood Chowder is delicious and the addition of coconut milk, red curry paste and Serrano peppers took comfort to a new level.

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 cup white onion diced
• 1-2 Serrano peppers thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger peeled & grated
• 2 Tbl. red curry paste
• 1 14- ounce can light coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lb. white fish we used Red Snapper
• 1/2 lb. mussels
• 1/2 lb. sea scallops
• 1/2 lb. large shrimp peeled & deveined
• 8-10 baby red potatoes boiled and quartered
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• Heat sesame oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and Serrano pepper and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in minced garlic and ginger; cook an additional minute.
• Stir in curry paste, followed by coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
• Add the seafood in order of cooking time. Fish first, then mussels, scallops and lastly shrimp. Stir in cooked potatoes and corn. Simmer until mussels open, shrimp are opaque and fish flakes easily. About 5 minutes.
• Serve in big bowls, garnished with fresh cilantro.

The post Thai Seafood Chowder appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We celebrated Shelby’s birthday last evening.  When I asked her what she’d like for dinner she said “one of your amazing Ribeye steaks.”  To which I gladly obliged.  I wanted to come up with a fun and light appetizer to start us off.  I remembered a time when Shelby and I met for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in town.  As soon as we sat down she said “you’ve got to try their Ceviche.”  I had no idea she shared my love for this chilled seafood salad.

While there are many variations of ceviche my goal was to make one that was colorful and festive.  I chose a nice piece of halibut and built from there.  When selecting seafood for ceviche, choose the freshest possible and don’t be afraid to ask to smell it before you buy it.  Fresh fish does not smell fishy.

To begin, cut the halibut into small cubes and marinate it in lime juice with Serrano peppers, minced garlic and fresh cilantro for about 4 hours.  In that time the fish will ‘cook’ in the lime juice, where it will become firm and bright white.

When the fish is done, drain and discard the marinade.  Combine it with a variety of diced veggies such as cucumber, tomato, yellow bell pepper, avocado, Serrano peppers, Fresno peppers, red onion, and fresh cilantro.

I also wanted to add shrimp and scallops to our ceviche.  After reading about a dozen articles on shellfish ceviche I went with the majority and quickly blanched the shrimp and scallops for one minute before adding them to the marinade.  If I were getting the shellfish fresh off the shrimp boat I’d skip that step.

Everything is then tossed in a dressing of olive oil, lime juice and lots of fresh cilantro.  Once chilled well, we served the Ceviche in avocado bowls with corn tortilla chips.  This is a perfect summer appetizer.  It’s so refreshing with the crisp veggies, bursts of fresh lime and a wonderful assortment of seafood.  Here’s another dish that lends itself to recipe creativity by simply changing up the ingredients or dressing.  Enjoy!

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Ceviche {with Halibut, Scallops & Shrimp}

Prep Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 4- ounce halibut filet
• 4 large sea scallops
• 6 ounces medium raw shrimp peeled and deveined
• 6 – 7 limes
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 Serrano pepper very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup diced cucumber
• 1/4 cup diced Roma tomato
• 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 Fresno pepper thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 avocados
• corn tortilla chips to serve

Instructions

• Cut halibut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass) with 1 tsp. minced garlic, 8-10 slices Serrano pepper, 2 Tbl. fresh chopped cilantro and enough fresh lime juice to cover fish completely (about 4 limes). Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours. Drain and discard marinade.
• Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to boil and blanch shrimp and scallops for one minute. Drain and rinse under cool water. Cut each shrimp into 2-3 pieces and dice scallops.
• Combine cold cooked halibut with shrimp, scallops, diced veggies and 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil with 4 Tbl. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes). Pour onto ceviche and toss to combine. Chill well, about 30 minutes.
• To serve, cut avocados in half, discard pits. Scoop out some of the flesh, dice and add to ceviche. Fill avocado bowls with ceviche and serve with corn tortilla chips.

The post Ceviche {with Halibut, Scallops & Shrimp} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We recently attended a wedding where we were treated to a most spectacular buffet of Thai food.  The appetizer spread alone captivated our attention without end (check out my collage below).  And when the dinner dishes were set out we approached them with the same enthusiasm.  That’s fancy talk for multiple trips through the buffet line.  While I was oh so happy with everything served, the Green Curry was still lingering in my mind three weeks later.

While I attempted to obtain THE Green Curry recipe from our host I’ve yet to be successful.  So this is my version adapted from about 20 recipes I’ve read since the wedding.  It’s is delicious and very easy to make.

The Green Curry sauce is prepared on the stovetop and then pureed in the blender.  I paired it with fresh cod and green beans and finished it in the oven.

The result was tender flaky fish swimming in the heavenly Green Curry sauce.  A simple bed of white rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro completed this dish.  Thai Green Curry Baked Cod was such a delightful change from our typical weeknight dishes.  However, a new 30-minute meal may have made it’s way into our regular rotation.  That makes me happy.

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Thai Green Curry Baked Cod

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 5-ounce cod portions
• 4 ounces fresh green beans end trimmed
• 1 Tbl.. sesame oil
• 3 Tbl. peeled chopped ginger root
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Serrano pepper thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbl. lime juice
• 1 Tbl. green curry paste
• 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper
• fresh cilantro for garnish
• white rice prepared according to package instructions

Instructions

• Sauté garlic and ginger in sesame oil for 30 seconds in an oven proof skillet. Add white wine and lime juice and reduce until almost dry. Whisk in the curry paste, coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce and reduce to 1 cup. Let cool slightly.
• Place cooked mixture in a blender with fresh cilantro leaves. Puree for 30 seconds. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blanch green beans for 2 minutes in boiling water. Place in oven proof skillet. Top with cod pieces. Pour green curry sauce over top and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until cod flakes easily with a fork.
• Serve with white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

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Our new love of North African flavors has led us to discover a unique blend of spices and ingredients.  This Spicy Green Sauce from City Kitchen,called chermoula offers just that.  A slightly spicy pesto-like sauce that infuses the heat of serrano peppers, with the very bright and green flavors of lots of fresh cilantro and scallions, and finishes with a hint of tart lemon zest.  We paired this sauce initially with our North African Chicken, but are certain it would be delicious with fish, beef, or lamb.

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Spicy Green Sauce

A slightly spicy pesto-like sauce that infuses the heat of serrano peppers, with the very bright and green flavors of lots of fresh cilantro and scallions, and finishes with a hint of tart lemon zest.

Course Sauce

Cuisine North African

Author City Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 preserved lemon available at Middle Eastern groceries or the grated zest of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1 garlic clove smashed with a little salt to form a paste
• 1 or 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles very finely chopped (use less for a milder sauce)
• 1 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/3 cup olive oil more to taste
• 3 scallions finely chopped.

Instructions

• Remove preserved lemon from its brine and rinse well in cold water. Chop the peel into approximately 1/16-inch cubes (reserve pulp for another purpose). Rinse the cubes, drain and reserve.
• In a small bowl, mix the garlic paste, chiles and cilantro. (Grind these in a blender or food processor if you wish, but it is nice to have some of the cilantro hand-chopped.)
• Stir in the olive oil, scallions and diced lemon peel or zest. Taste and add a small amount of salt or more oil if necessary. The sauce tastes best freshly made.

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